I agree. If not off by default, I hope they give me the option to remove the start button. It's pointless once the hot corner is learned, and users who don't understand it, also don't understand the start button without someone telling them about it either. Basically the argument of discoverability was lost the moment "start" was removed from it. Users that "can't find", or "swear" the start button "wasn't there before" are going to be equally difficult for tech support regardless of whether there's a giant blinking button or not.

It'll only be the button and nothing more, it's a cosmetic change because people aren't use to hot corners yet.

Agreed, but I would say because people don't like hot corners, and may never, and the button is more familiar and was placed there from years of research. Whether it launces Start Page or the old Start Menu, it was in a good place and it'll be good to be back there. The only think they need now is for Search to be fixed as leaks indicated and this thing will start turning around.

I'll believe it when I see it. Having a start button breaks down when users start menu using Metro apps.

Explain yourself? There's still the Charms, Keyboard, and hardware start button. It may also be optional and may not appear on tablets. But assuming it does, how will it break down? It will only be available in Desktop Environment so I don't know how it would break down for Metro. The Taskbar then, breaks down when people start using Metro apps?????

If they bring the start button back, I hope it's optional.
I really don't need the start button, and it would only take up space on my taskbar
I feel comfortable with the 3 options for a start button that I have at the moment. I don't need a 4th one